ERIC Number: EJ771283
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0485
EISSN: N/A
I Thought I Got an A! Overconfidence across the Economics Curriculum
Nowell, Clifford; Alston, Richard M.
Journal of Economic Education, v38 n2 p131-142 Spr 2007
Students often exhibit overconfident grade expectations and tend to overestimate the actual course grade at the completion of a course. Current theories of student motivation suggest such overconfidence may lead students to study less than if they had accurate grade perceptions. The authors report the findings of a survey of students enrolled in economics and quantitative courses at a large public university. They analyze the difference between a student's expected and actual grade and how teacher pedagogies can influence student overconfidence. They find male students and those with lower GPAs exhibit greater overconfidence. Students in lower division classes have a greater tendency to be overconfident than do those in upper division classes. The findings also indicate that grading practices influence overconfidence. (Contains 4 tables and 5 notes.)
Descriptors: Economics Education, Grade Prediction, Self Esteem, College Students, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Student Surveys, Gender Differences, Grading, Academic Achievement, Attendance
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A